Biography

Caroline Lobanov developed a great love for music at a very young age. She followed ballet lessons at the age of 8, and started studying classical piano at age 10. She started singing when she was 15, and accompanied herself on the guitar.
From 1984 until 1989 she studied music therapy. During her studies, she developed a wish to further deepen her singing talents. At the age of 26 she began studying modern music at the Utrecht Academy of Music. She continued her studies at the Hilversum Academy of Music where she received her degree in 1997 with highest honors. (Cum Laude).

During her vocal studies she gained more in-depth knowledge in jazz, improvisation and Brazilian music, and she developed into an extremely versatile singer. During this time, Caroline gained experience with various pop bands, jazz combos and big bands.
In 2000 she sang the title roles of Porgy and Bess with Ronald Douglas in an arrangement by Rob van Bavel, with the cooperation of the Zapp String Quartet. In 2001 she reached the finals of the Jazz Vocalists Concourse with her own Jazz Quartet. She also took second prize in the Jazz Concourse in Breda.

These last few years Caroline has focused more on Brazilian music, where she has felt at home from her first introduction to it. Samba, boss nova, and forro, xote and baiao are styles in which she performs with natural ease. She has visited Brazil several times and has sung with Brazilian musicians in various clubs in Rio de Janeiro and Sao Paolo. With her own quartet LobaNova, and other Brazilian combos she played many different Dutch concerts and festivals.

Besides her Brazilian bands, Caroline is still involved with jazz and pop music. She performs with the Caroline Lobanov Quartet and sings in the close harmony vocal group The Melismates, for which she also writes the arrangements.

Together with the classical soprano Wynanda Zeevaarder she can be seen regularly on the program Vocal Cords (Stembanden), which is a varied and humorous approach to the differences and similarities between modern and classical music..